Echo in the Void
by The Demon Phoenix
Summary: The voice calls me, yet I cannot hear it. The shadows reach out for me, yet I denounce them. I am between, again. [The continuation of KH 2, from Roxas' POV and others. New Chapter: Three Part Three. ]
1. One

Echo in the Void

* * *

"_The voice… _

_it spoke to me while you were sleeping. _

_It told me things. _

_Like a whisper on the fleeting winds of hope. _

_It told me… _

_That I could **be**…" _

* * *

**O**ne

He floated silently through the void.

Like an empty vessel, nonexistent in this world. An abstract thought drifting through the inner-workings of the mind. No feelings or thoughts or dreams came to him while drifting through this nothingness of his home. After all, what right does the non-existing have to think or feel or dream?

_Roxas._

There was no response. There shouldn't be anyway. He had no ears to hear, no mind to perceive. The ears and the mind were no longer his. Granted, they weren't his to begin with, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered in the void to begin with, and never should have.

_Roxas…_

The body that did not exist shifted in it's movements, gearing itself toward the ground that wasn't there. There was a soft thud of soundlessness and the vessel suddenly became upright and stable.

_Awaken._

The blue, empty eyes that did not truly belong to him opened forcefully, as if wrenching oneself from a terrible nightmare. He looked about. His eyes, unseeing in the blackness that stretched out to infinity before him, tried to make out something… anything he could recognize.

At once, thoughts began to fill the space that was once his nonexistent mind. Rapid, the mind's eye could not fully see these thoughts as they rushed by. Only flashes of things could he make out. A face, red hair, fire, a boy about his age… a … keyblade?

There was a flash of soft light that shone possibly miles and miles above him. Blue eyes peered upwards, attempting to remember the concept of light and… _existence._

His legs gave way. His body crumpling to the ground as he fell forward. He found himself unable to remember to stand or to walk, or to hold his balance. A fist… his fist, pounded the nothingness that he once stood on out of frustration, no sound emanating from it. Finally, he pushed himself up onto his knees.

A name floated by his ears, soft and friendly. He immediately recognized it as his own.

"Roxas…" The boy whispered, peering at a pair of hands that moved into view. His _own _hands.

Roxas stood at once. _His_ eyes peering up once again towards the light that still shone there. He opened up his hands and held his arms out and away from the body that he claimed as his own and then shouted, at the top of _his_ lungs.

"My name is ROXAS!"

The sound of his voice faded from his mouth as soon as it left, possibly sucked away by the void. Roxas lifted his hands to his throat, and was about to question what exactly was going on when a sound, characteristic of a loud gong, filled the area.

As if commanded, Roxas looked down at his feet and was surprised when the darkness around them lifted away and revealed a large, circular platform filled with more light and an image of some sort. He turned his head and took a few steps backwards in an attempt to get a better view of the image at his feet.

Much of the image, he recognized, was fire, circling about the areas of the outer circle. In the middle were two people. The one on the far right he could only make out as… himself, dressed in a long black cloak. In his hands were…

"Keyblades."

He had no idea what _keyblades _were but they were obviously some sort of weapon… A weapon he knew how to use _well, _it seemed. In the image he was leaping into battle against the person directly in front of him.

The other depicted in the image was dressed in a black cloak, too, and had long red hair pushed back behind his ears.

"Axel…?" The name came to him, but the memory did not.

_The birth, unnatural. And again, the rebirth unnatural still…_

Roxas' attention was directed towards the light again, where the voice from before seemed to be emanating.

"Who are you?" Roxas asked, unsure of where he was or even… _why _he was at this point.

_A name is unimportant. Or… perhaps, all the importance in the world if that's all it takes to define existence._

"Speak English!" Roxas was frustrated, mostly from the fact that he couldn't quite think clearly yet, nor remember much of anything at the moment.

_Emotion? A surprise. Perhaps you do not yet recall what it is you lack_

"What I lack? Where am I and what am I doing here…?"

_A complicated question. Unfortunately you do not deserve to hear an answer… yet._

_"_What do you mean!" Roxas was in no mood to play any games with the strange voice.

He began to think clearly and could recall simple knowledge anyone at his age would know at this point and yet, could not reclaim any of his memories. They were there… but far out of reach, it would seem.

_Tell me. Are you willing to fight for the knowledge that you crave?_

There was a small flash of light out of the corner of Roxas' eye. He lowered his head and turned, coming face to face with both keyblades depicted in the image he stood upon.

Biting his lip, Roxas stepped towards the weapons, his hand outstretched. But his hand came in contact with something solid that he could not pass. He pressed his hand on the invisible wall standing in his way and suddenly felt angered and rather foolish.

_Not yet. First you must decide…_

Roxas lowered his hand and clenched it into a fist, his eyes peering intently on the weapons floating before him.

_The Keyblade… _The voice began. _In some hands it can be considered a tool, in others, a weapon. But in the right hands it can mean both._

Before Roxas' eyes he could see the invisible wall dissipate, leaving the blades open to him. He took a step forward.

_At this point in time only one of these two keyblades will be open to you._

Roxas glanced over at the keyblade on the right. It's body was largely white, with the top being a different color.

_Do you choose the path of the light, who's goodness knows no bounds? The path of the Oathkeeper?_

His gaze shifted to the keyblade on the left. It was the complete opposite of the white one. Completely black, it looked like the perfect weapon.

_Or do you choose the shadow? The bringer of death and the path of Oblivion?_

He stepped forward once more. This time, both keyblades were in arms reach. They both looked tempting. But which should he choose?

_It is your choice, Roxas. And be glad, because for once you **do **have a choice…_

The boy stood quietly, glancing between each weapon and thinking intently. Slowly his gaze shifted to the image of himself on the circular platform. In the image he was holding both blades, why should he only choose one? Then his eyes moved towards the face of the man named Axel, his eyes narrowed slightly as he made up his mind.

Roxas reached out with both arms, grasping the hilt of each keyblade.

He tried wrenching them from where they floated but they would not budge. He then tried to release his hold on the hilts but, to his horror, his hands would not budge. A red light flashed from the bottom of each keyblade and traveled up it's length, it reached the hilt and then surged, violently, into his arms.

Roxas screamed, the pain from the red light was a thousand times worse than any thing imaginable. He could feel his muscle's convulse and, finally, perhaps mercifully, he was allowed to let go. Exhausted, Roxas fell backwards against the hard floor.

The voice laughed, _Perhaps you cannot hear. I said choose **one**_. _Darkness or Light!_

After a moment Roxas stood once more as anger pulsed freely through his body. "And I said I choose BOTH. I choose the Twilight!"

Roxas reached for both blades again, and held them tightly in his grasp. The red light came once more, and filled his body with everlasting pain. Roxas gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, refusing to let go. After what felt like an eternity the light disappeared and Roxas wrenched both keyblades from their places. He took a step backwards and twirled the blades in his hands. Looking up towards the light with a triumphant sneer.

The voice laughed in response, _Now I know why it was so easy to awaken you. Your will alone is stronger than any heart. It is your desire to be that allows you to even exist. Perhaps there is hope for you yet, boy of Twilight._

"Now do I deserve an answer? Do I deserve to know what I ask? Who are you?" Roxas half asked, half demanded up at the voice and the light. "And what about my memories? Why can't I remember?"

_Perhaps. Do not worry, your memories will come to you in due time. But, as I said before, you must fight to prove you deserve what you seek!_

Without warning the voice and the light disappeared. The only source of light now was coming from the circular image that he stood on. Looking back down Roxas was shocked to see dark creatures rise seemingly out from the ground under his feet. Not missing a beat, the boy got into a fighting stance that seemed second nature to him, not requiring a memory or a thought.

"If I have to fight to figure out what the _hell _is going on then, lets fight!"

The Boy of Twilight lifted his keyblades, one of Darkness and one of Light and charged the dark creatures that stood as obstacles before him. He would get answers.

One way or another.

To Be Continued…

* * *

**Author's Note**: So I beat Kingdom Hearts 2 and I really liked Roxas and Axel. But I thought Roxas was dealt an unfair hand in his life and I wanted to at least give him a second chance. So I decided to continue the story of Kingdom Hearts sometime after the second game, but from Roxas' point of view. Expect to see a lot more characters later and, don't worry, Roxas is going to regain his memories pretty fast.

So, tell me what you think. No flames, but tons of constructive criticism is entirely welcome and expect to see the second chapter soon since it's already written ( I just have to change a few things.) And thanks for reading.

**Disclaimer**: (This will be said only once, but will count for the entire story henceforth.) I do not own Roxas, the keyblades or anything from the Kingdom Hearts games, Disney or Final Fantasy that appears in this story. And I intend to make no profit from it as it's a work of Fan Fiction.


	2. Departure i

Echo in the Void

* * *

_"Neither here nor there._

_Neither the begining or the end._

_Simply, the Departure..."_

* * *

**D**eparture - i.

It was the day of Laire. An old, traditional holiday celebrating the first day of Summer on Destiny Islands. It would be a day of celebration and togetherness as the kids and teenagers donned tribal face paints and danced and played games around the bonfire while the adults played music or sat and talked about good times and warm memories by the ocean.

However, the smell of the ocean, the gentle crackling of the bonfire and the easy Island music did nothing to calm his anger.

Riku slammed his fist against the wood of the makeshift drink hut that sat otherwise peacefully at the head of the beach. The wood, as tan as the warm sand underfoot, surprisingly held despite being incredibly flimsy.

"Riku, _stop that_. Are you ok?"

Two noticeably smaller hands rested on Riku's, begging him to stop. Almost reluctantly he lowered his fist and the weak hut, thankfully, was no longer in danger of collapsing under the emotions Riku stored in his fist.

The young man duly acknowledged her request and sighed, running his fingers through his silken hair. Loose grains of sand that were knocked from his hair fell and bounced off of his bare upper body. He then shifted his crystal-clear eyes over to the red haired teenager standing near him.

"I'm _always _ok, Kairi. But I can't help but be just a little pissed off at the moment…"

From her eyes it was apparent that she wanted to ask why, but refrained from doing so. Instead she retained her look of concern that was clearly visible, even under the decorative face paint she was wearing.

She arched her eyebrows and fixed her tied hair slightly, soon resorting to adjusting her stance somewhat as the sand shifted under her bare feet in the passing wind. The fire illuminated her soft skin beautifully, the orange glow a welcome contrast to the pale moonlight that shone over head on this clear night.

"Sora looks like he's enjoying Laire." She smirked, readily attempting to change the subject at hand. Turning, Kairi nodded her head over to the boy smiling and laughing by the bonfire.

There was another shift in the sand as he turned his attention to the boy roughly a year and a few months younger than Riku himself. He brought up a thumb to scratch at an itch just under his right eye, accidentally smudging the paint that covered his own face.

"Hm." A simple acknowledgement.

Sora did not notice them as he was busy singing some incoherent song in the old Island dialect while dancing comically with his arm around another friend of theirs, Tidus to the music provided by a few Islanders not too far off. Dressed similarly to Riku, they two had donned the tribal paint and had lost their shirts to fully enjoy the warm weather.

Sora soon stopped singing and laughing long enough to open his eyes and notice Riku and Kairi further up on the beach and, in response to seeing them, smiled and made a face that caused Kairi to return the smile and Riku to smirk in spite of himself.

"Good Lord. Those two look like they could raise the _dead s_inging and dancing like that." Kairi chuckled, holding a hand in front of her mouth to conceal the laughter.

Her words made Riku's smile lessen and caused the memory of why he was angry in the first place to resurface in the front of his mind, leaving a sour taste in his mouth, reminiscent of dirt.

"I'll be back." He said evenly, and left without another word.

"Huh?" Kairi was surprised to see Riku leave and attempted to call after him, to no avail. "But… you'll miss the Feast!"

"Kairi!" She abruptly turned to face Sora who had stopped dancing and waved her over. Tidus was next to him, still laughing and busy wiping some sweat and smeared paint out of his eyes. "Come and dance with us!"

She glanced in the direction of where Riku had left, looked conflicted for a moment, but then flashed Sora a smile, and rushed over to join the fun.

---

In the cool Island forest there was no bonfire, no happy faces enjoying the holiday, and no music. Just the moonlight and the wind of peace that washed over Riku as he came to his favorite spot by a small oasis. He sat next to the water and leaned over it, scooping his hand into the cold water and splashing it against his face, washing off the paint the three of them had applied earlier in the day.

Taking a large exhale, the man, now eighteen years of age, shifted backwards and leaned against a boulder wedged in the ground just at the top of the large slope that led back in the general direction of the beach. He moved his body momentarily and reached into his back pocket. A second later Riku had retrieved a glass bottle he had found washed against the shore not half an hour ago, nearly three feet away from Sora who had been busy playing ball with Kairi, Tidus and the other Island kids.

Discreetly he had grasped the bottle in his hands, glad he decided to step away from the game to grab something to drink. Turning the bottle in his hands, he noticed the seal of the King himself, wrapped around a piece of parchment tucked safely inside.

He then took the bottle and walked up to the drink hut where he read the note in private. That's when Kairi showed up.

"Dear Riku," He began, uncurling the note and rereading it to himself.

---

_I know it has been a while, and, in a way, perhaps too soon. But this is an urgent matter, important to you, Kairi and Sora, especially._

_This is hard news to tell those who can't handle it so I have addressed the note to you, whom I think will be able to handle the news better than either Kairi or Sora could._

_The news in question revolves around Sora and something that I have discovered, by accident, while away from the Castle._

_I don't want to delve into details, as this note may, and-- possibly will, fall into the wrong hands. All I can say is… I fear the loose ends, thought tied, are coming undone and unraveling at the seams. We must speak, at once. As this is an urgent matter. _

_Sora must come along as well, as I fear his time may be limited. The meeting spot will be the usual._

_Assistance will arrive three days after Laire to aid you in your travels._

_Please find a way to allow Sora to know that he is needed, but do not reveal anything to him, he should know before assistance arrives, as this was the reason for sending this to you._

_I'm sorry,_

_K.M.M._

_---_

"His time may be limited." Riku rolled the parchment and placed it back in the bottle, corking it once more. "What does that _mean_?"

Riku pounded his fist on the soft soil beneath him. Angry that there was never any rest for them, angry that Sora was always in danger and angry that there would _never _be any peace as long as they lived, it seemed.

Still, the fact of the matter remained. He had to let Sora know before 'assistance' arrived. But he had no way to let him know. The bottle was set down next to him as he leaned back against the rock, folding his arms behind his head.

"Some Laire." He scoffed, letting his eyes drift close as he began to ponder what to do…

Departure - i.

_**Continued..**_

* * *

**Author's Note**: The Departures (as you can tell) are going to be the breaks between the main Roxas parts of the story and are going to center around mostly Sora, Riku and Kairi and other characters, as well. They'll be there to add depth to the story and, also, to advance the plot. As the story moves on, the Departures will lessen as eventually the main characters will cross paths, however they may remain still to provide an alternate point of view to a certain event in the story. 

Also, in case your wondering… Laire is a holiday I made up. The name means Summer.

Anyway, thank you again for reading. And I'd like to thank Sugar Waffle and the 'anon' for posting their reviews and a big thanks to Mallory Grier for the much-needed constructive criticism. I hope you guys read this one, and continue to review. nn


	3. Two

**Echo in the Void**

* * *

"_The exit… _

_High above, it is visible. _

_The shimmering moonlight peering through the depths of the ocean. _

_Swim towards it."_

* * *

**T**wo

The white coat, like much of everything else, made no sound as it touched the ground. Following it were the black and white finger-cuffs and the similar patterned wrist band.

Oblivion had disappeared, Roxas quickly realized that he had needed only one keyblade for most of the battle.

Beads of sweat combined on his forehead to create small rivers that slid down the length of his stern face. A single bead dripped into his left eye, forcing him to close it.

One monster leaped at him, seizing the slight distraction as a chance to attack. It reared backwards in midair. Raising its claws, it prepared to attack.

_Shink_!

Which was a mistake, it seemed.

One swipe and the creature was gone in an instant, fraying away to join the blackness of the void just outside the bluish hue of the pillar.

"Now," Roxas sneered, unzipping the vest he wore underneath his jacket. The smell of the leather was unusually pleasant, he noted. "who's next?"

Two of the shadow creatures titled their heads in response to hearing his voice. Possibly seeing this as an invitation, they attacked. One leaped high, swiping its claws at Roxas' face, the other one made a beeline for his legs.

He didn't miss a beat. There were no sounds from his feet as he took off in a sprint towards the attacking creatures. Then, at the last minute he planted both feet and leapt _sideways _through the air. Roxas twisted his body horizontally and spun directly in-between both creatures. He opened his left hand and, in a small puff of darkness, Oblivion reappeared in his grasp.

Both keyblades were held out now. Combined with his horizontal spin this move resembled that of a propeller on an airplane. Each keyblade hit their mark on the creatures, one high and one low, and before his feet touched the ground again both of them were gone. Discarded into the void.

The rest of the creatures were easily dispatched. One leap, one slash. A spin and a dodge. An abrupt attack, a skillful parry into a forward thrust. In moments the remaining shadow creatures were all taken care of.

Roxas spun the blades in a flourish once the last monster was taken care of. The weapons shimmered like a strobe of white and black until he dismissed them. Then, as suddenly as they appeared, they were gone. The boy stood upright and looked up towards the heavens.

It only took a moment for the light and the voice to reappear.

_Impressive, boy of Twilight. Most impressive._

"Yeah. But hey, could you consider installing a ventilation system? It feels like the first day of Summer in here."

_Humor. How cute. _The voice was not amused.

Roxas clenched his fists, the sly grin melting away to reveal a deadly serious look. "I finished your test, I'm through with this void. I want answers and I want out!"

_Oh, you are far from finished, boy of Twilight._

The ground began to shake, Roxas suddenly felt as if he would fall off of this platform and instinctively dropped to one knee. He watched intently as his jacket and things slipped off the side of the platform and disappeared into the abyss. In front of him a staircase that seemed to be made of light formed at the edge of the platform and, just past that, a similar pillar grew out of the darkness to join with the staircase of light's top end as soon as it finished it's completion.

_In order to find what you seek you must fight your way towards the light in the heavens. _Roxas rose and stood upright, summoning Oblivion and Oathkeeper. _But, before you ascend I will indulge you with an answer to one of your questions…_

"All right." Roxas nodded. It did not take him long to decide what he wanted to ask.

"Why am I here?" He held out the hand that held Oathkeeper away from his body. "And, what is this place?"

_That is two questions… But, seeing as how generous I am, I will answer them._

Roxas lowered his arm, listening intently to the voice. He opened his mind to fully perceive the words the voice spoke and, as a result, began to vaguely recognize the voice… Though he could not remember who it belonged to..

_Where you find yourself now, boy of Twilight, is Between the Between…_

"Between… the Between." Roxas repeated, curiously deciphering the meaning.

_Yes. It is neither the realm of existence or oblivion. It is the void. The world of the non-existing death…It is where those that do not truly exist are born and thrive and, conversely, where those that do not exist return when they are killed._

"What… What does that mean?" He questioned, unable to fully understand the voice's words.

The voice ignored him, simply moving on to his next question. _As to why **you **are here, Roxas; it is simple. You have faded. Such is the result of forgetting that you once lived. As a result… you have slipped into the void in a state of living death. That is, until you remembered…_

"But what about my memories? And you… who _are _you? And these pillars… none of it makes any sense."

_Continue on, boy of Twilight. I will answer you no more until you further prove yourself to me._

"**Damn **it." Roxas cursed under his breath, lowering his gaze from the light above and instead shifting it towards the staircase made of light. "I guess I'll just have to keep moving."

The blade of light was lowered and shifted behind his back, held tightly by his right hand. The blade of darkness was lifted, the left hand resting it on his shoulders. With one last glance up at the light Roxas took off towards the staircase.

Once reaching it he hesitated, questioning within his mind whether or not the staircase made of light would hold him. Closing his eyes, he stepped on the first step. To his amazement, he did not fall right through.

"Good." He bit his lip and walked up two more stairs until he was no longer standing on the pillar at all. Suddenly a massive rumbling identical to before shook the area. Roxas looked back out of curiosity and watched as the pillar he was once standing on crumbled into the void.

_This void is a very peculiar place. You wished to climb higher, and thus a new pillar and staircase were created. Then, as the older pillar became no use to you it was destroyed._

"Are you saying that… because I wanted something to appear it… appeared?"

_Not quite. It wasn't a want. It was a **need**. A need you cannot summon on a whim. The new pillar and staircase appeared there simply because…without it, you would be lost._

"Does that mean…"

_Quickly. _The voice cut Roxas off.

He turned back and saw, to his horror, that the staircase of light was flickering out.

Gritting his teeth, the young man bounded up the staircase of light. His feet frantically pounded each step as the second ( and now only ) pillar grew closer to him. Roxas dismissed the blades and reached for the pillar with both arms, hoping to at least grab the ledge if the stairs did, indeed, fade away.

Three more steps and he would have made it.

His right foot slipped through the staircase just as it had faded completely from sight. Letting out a slight yelp, Roxas held out his arms for the staircase hoping that _somehow _he could fly. Unable to grab anything, he closed his eyes and slipped towards the abyss.

Or perhaps, he _might_ have had he not just hit solid ground.

"What…" Roxas whispered to himself, opening his eyes.

Curiously, he had somehow ended up in some sort of circular room made entirely of the color white. In the center of the room was a strange symbol that he vaguely recalled seeing somewhere before. And, peering about this room he noticed several very high seats that circulated about it. Shifting his focus upward, Roxas caught the sight of the light that was still far, far above him. He was still in the void, but where exactly was he?

Just then, a voice alerted his attentions. Strangely, the voice was his own.

There, seated at one of the high chairs, was himself. Dressed in a full black cloak of some sort.

"_Kingdom… Hearts." _His other self said, slipping back into his throne-like chair.

Another voice cut in, Roxas peered across from where his other self was sitting and found someone else sitting on another seat. He recognized it immediately as the man from the pillar's image. Axel.

"_Kingdom Hearts," _Axel intertwined his fingers, peering at them as if trying to pick his next words carefully. "_with it, we speculate, we can become whole. True people."_

"_But…" _The Roxas in the seat questioned. "_how do we achieve it?"_

Axel lowered his hands and pointed across the room towards the Roxas sitting upon the white throne. In his hands appeared one of the keyblades, Oathkeeper. "_With that."_

"_The keyblade." _

"What is going on?" Roxas questioned, looking up at himself and Axel entirely confused.

"_Each Heartless you destroy with the keyblade releases a captive heart," _Axel cut the air with his hand, as if to simulate a fatal blow with the keyblade. He then pointed skyward. "_The free hearts join together to create Kingdom Hearts. Xemnas believes that those hearts will make us whole again, and more powerful than we can imagine. That is why we need you. You are the key, the Key of Destiny."_

"_So, Xemnas is using me."_

"_Not quite. We all need you, Roxas. Without you Organization XIII can't operate," _Axel peered about the room to see if anyone was listening in, apparently he could not see the other Roxas standing on the ground there. Once sure no one was around, he leaned in towards Roxas and spoke in a hushed tone. "_If Xemnas were to die, the Organization would continue to operate. But without you, without another keyblade, there is no Organization. In a way **you **are the Organization. And, in a way, you even have power over Xemnas himself."_

The Roxas in the black cloak dismissed his keyblade and lifted his hands, peering at them in wonder. "_Power over power."_

Then as abruptly as they appeared, both Axel and the cloaked Roxas faded away, leaving the real Roxas alone in the room.

"What was that?"

"What do you think it was? It was a memory."

Roxas whirled around to meet the one that just spoke to him. He came face-to-face with Axel.

And it was no apparition.

"Axel!"

With a smirk on his face Axel approached Roxas. He grabbed Roxas' right wrist and turned it upwards, with his free hand he placed some sort of folded paper in his grasp. Axel then closed Roxas' fist around the paper.

"Once you leave this place... the man you want to look for is named Cornelius." He brought a finger up to his temple and tapped it once. "Got it memorized?"

Axelmoved past Roxas who peered at the small piece of paper in his hand. Lifting his hand, Axel snapped his fingers. Roxaspocketed the paper andlooked up quizzically as a dark portal began to materialize just feet away in the wall Roxas was facing. He then turned back towards Axel.

"Keep moving." Axel said simply.

"But…" Roxas began, but was abruptly cut off by Axel who held out a hand to stop him.

"I said we'd meet again in the after-life, right? Well I held up my bargain. Now it's your turn."

"My… turn."

Axel nodded. "Listen. Promise me you'll do what _you _think is right. I haven't known you to do anything for anyone else. So now is not the time to start. Head towards the light and don't stop. Not for me, not for anyone."

"I…" Roxas took on a look of reluctance.

"Just go!" Axel began walking away, leaving Roxas to the portal. Roxas was shocked to see Axel suddenly become transparent.

Roxas bit his lip and faced the portal, stepping towards it. He then stopped one last time and turned towards Axel who had almost completely faded away. "I… may not remember you but I'll find a way to come back for you. I promise."

Axel stopped and closed his eyes, a large smirk forming on his face. He then faded away completely.

Once he was gone Roxas turned at once and ran towards the portal. He though breifly about stopping,but it was already too late. His feet had left the ground,leaping right into the dark gateway.

_**Clack.**_

On the other side he felt his feet hit solid ground. For a long while his vision had escaped him, (a possible side effect from leaping through the portal with your eyes open,) but he knew immediately where he was from the familiar voice of the enigmatic man.

_I see you managed to survive your trip through the depths… _

"I had some help," Roxas said, rubbing at his eyes with his hands. "and I think the memories are starting to come back to me."

_No matter, draw your keyblades. Danger approaches._

"Wait! I can't see!" Roxas shouted, calling upon Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He closed his fists, immediately feeling the lightweight weapons in his hands.

_Do you expect a real fight to stop simply because you have a handicap? No one will wait for you to be in top form, in fact, they will wait until you are disadvantaged. Fight and use your inability to see in your favor!_

"How do I--" The question was cut short as the sharp feeling of claws slid across his face, a white hot heat filled his cheek as he was knocked to the floor.

Roxas attempted to get to his feet but was quickly knocked down again by one of the dark creatures. He was pinned this time and could feel the claws of the creature as it attacked his face. The blades were dismissed as his hands were brought up to block his face.

Soon he finally managed to push the creature off of his body and rolled out of the way, rubbing frantically at his eyes.

"Come on damn you!" He felt something touch his leg and he sprung to his feet and moved out of the way.

"Help me!" He growled, swinging his arms viciously through the air.

Then there was a strange noise followed closely by varying sounds of a struggle taking place around him. Roxas stopped swinging at the air and instead stood quietly, listening to weapons of some sort cutting into the bodies of the dark creatures. A moment later there was total silence.

His vision came back and what he saw confused and startled him.

Several creatures, completely different from before, stood around him. Each held a blade of some sort that seemed sharp enough to cut Roxas to ribbons and each appeared vastly different from the dark creatures from before in that they were white. Strangely, they did not attack him.

"What?"

_Hm. It appears that you have unlocked an ability long dormant within you._

"And that would be…" Roxas lowered his arms, the white creatures rolled up into nothingness, leaving the young man alone with the voice.

_The ability to summon those creatures under your control._

"Those things killed off the dark creatures. The… Heartless?"

_Yes. Apparently since you were too incompetent to deal with the creatures in your current state the attack instead woke the part of you that was able to command those white creatures to your side, the Nobodies._

Roxas ignored the voice's comment about his ability and instead continued on with his own question. "The Heartless and the Nobodies... So you're saying that I can call upon them when I need to?"

_Well. You once were. But through certain circumstances you lost touch with the abilities you were able to freely use in the past. Through selective amnesia and … well, forced assimilation, you grew weak and feeble. Undeserving of the existence you sought._

"I don't understand." Roxas held out his hands in question. "What do you mean by 'selective amnesia' and 'forced assimilation'? Why is it that I was able to control these Nobodies and **_how_** is it that I managed to end up in a place of 'non-existing' death?"

There was another rumbling. However, this time it did not affect him in the slightest. Another pillar rose from the abyss and climbed much, much higher than the one he was now standing on. Soon another staircase of light, similar to the one before, grew from the pillar he found himself on and spiraled upward towards the next.

_It is time you learned about yourself, Roxas. To the next pillar with haste. I, myself, will be waiting for you there to explain everything to you. No longer shall you have to continue on as a stranger to your very own being. From this moment on I will cut your strings and you will be free as you once were…_

Roxas nodded and proceeded to the next staircase without hesitation. He would finally get the answers he was looking for and soon the mysteries of his past would be revealed.

The only question was… Once he learned of his past, would he come to regret it?

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**Author's Note**: Sorry guys for the long wait. I was sick and didn't feel much like writing. But I'm back now so no need to worry. I hope you enjoyed the read, it was originally much longer but I had tocut it in half because of it's length.

Much thanks for those who reviewed the story. I hope you all continue to review and tell me what you think of thewhathas happenedthus far. Also, keep checking back for the next part as it should be up soon enough.


	4. Departure ii

**Echo in the Void**

* * *

"_The sand underfoot is no longer warm._

_The friendly faces-- no longer smiling…_

_The fire is no longer burning._

_The summer has begun--_

_But the vacation is over."_

* * *

**D**eparture - ii

_**Crack!**_

There was a flash of lightning followed by a clap of thunder. Destiny Islands was covered in darkness and Riku found himself running. Fast.

His keyblade, held low and away from his body, could be heard sliding effortlessly through the pure, white sands. Around his shoulders, bound by a silver chain, was a violet cloak that rippled like the ocean behind him as he ran.

It began to rain as the temperature dropped at least twenty degrees. He ignored it. The unbridled fury of his unchained heart was hot enough to keep him warm. Riku did not know why he was so furious, but he kept running. Behind him, Destiny Islands tore itself away and faded, without so much as a whimper, into the endless void that threatened to swallow his home whole. Again, he ignored it.

The ground before him tore away, but he would not stop. Leaping, Riku jumped from what _used _to be ground onto whatever chunks of land that had yet to be consumed.

Soon he reached the ocean and the tall figure that stood before him. He could not make out the face, but just looking at him fanned the flames of his rage. This was his enemy. And even though the face was indistinguishable his clothing stood out like the sun against the infinite darkness of night.

A white robe, covered in black thorns.

Riku lifted the blade and leapt once more, prepared to hack away at this monster. This murderer. However, the man proved too strong and before even seeing him attack, Riku was knocked back and to the ground.

Riku sat there with a fire burning in his eyes. The man opened his mouth to speak but all he could hear at this point was the roar of the void as it consumed everything. The oceans faded away and soon Riku and the enemy found themselves surrounded by nothingness.

The man lifted his hand and pointed at Riku's keyblade. What could he want with The Way to Dawn?

Riku grasped his hand around the hilt of the blade and lifted it, the last traces of sand falling from the weapon and disappearing into nothingness. Once in view he looked at it. Silver hilt. Golden blade. This was the King's keyblade. Where was _his_ keyblade? The Way to Dawn…

"Why do I have this?"

His voice echoed in the void around him, this frustrated him and as no response came to him he felt himself standing at once. He did not know what was holding him up at this point. He did not care.

"Why do I have _this_?" He shouted and brandished the King's keyblade at the robed man who still stood like a silent white tower covered in black thorns.

Enraged, the young man raised the King's keyblade to attack, yet the robed man did not so much as flinch.

"ANSWER ME!" The thin strands of control he once had snapped and he found himself swinging the keyblade with all his might.

The King's keyblade would have pierced through the man, but something stopped him at that moment. A hand… on his wrist?

Riku turned to face the one who stopped him. His eyes widened in shock when he saw exactly who it was.

"Riku, _stop that._ Are you ok?"

"N--," Disbelief overcame every other emotion Riku was harboring at this point, "Namine?"

She simply smiled in response to her name and gently released his wrist. Riku suddenly remembered the man and craned his head to see him. Nothing, he was gone.

"Your friends need you now." She smiled sadly at him, Riku turned back to face her.

A look came over her that resembled a small light of hope in a sea of despair. "There is still time where you are, hurry and save what light is left."

"Wha--" There was a flash of bright light that quickly consumed everything. The darkness, Namine and himself. Suddenly, he felt his senses returning to him--

* * *

"Namine!" Riku shouted, sitting up straight. 

He felt the Island's darkness wash over him as he pressed a hand against his cold flesh. The memory of what had happened came back to him, he had nodded off against the rock while deep in thought. But the dream… what was _that _about?

He gradually began to relax when a pained scream, belonging to a familiar voice jolted him and his nerves. Without hesitation he leapt to his feet, The Way to Dawn appearing in his hands.

"Kairi!" He shouted, unsure of what was going on, but sure as hell not about to sit back and let something happen to her.

"_Your friends need you right now. There is still time where you are, hurry and save what light is left." _Namine's words echoed through his mind and he nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"Thank you… Namine." Riku said, and rushed off towards the beach.

* * *

"Kai--!" Sora attempted to get out but the wind was forced from his lungs when a powerful arm slammed into his chest and knocked him straight to the cool sand. 

Stars began to swim in his vision. Fighting to breathe, Sora attempted to grab a hold of something to help him get to his feet. Of course, all that surrounded him was sand. Pressing his elbows into the sand, Sora propped his body up long enough to see Kairi flanked by a group of Nobodies that had appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly angered, he would no longer need something to prop him up. All he would need was a light push and--

A foot pressed against his chest and slammed him against the sand once more. Sora winced, feeling a heavy boot holding him down to the floor, making it hard to breathe or fight.

"Sora!"

He could hear Kairi cry, but could do nothing about it. Looking up, Sora saw the robe of the man pressing him into the ground. A strange, familiar robe… White, covered in black thorns. Sora saw the face of a man slowly swim into his mind as he gently drifted off into unconsciousness.

"Xemnas…"

* * *

"Sora!" Kairi shouted in dismay, watching in horror as that tall person in the strange robes pressed his foot into Sora's chest, possibly killing him. 

The Island that, only moments before, was a cheerful place of celebration quickly dissolved into chaos as the Nobodies stormed the beach out of seemingly _nowhere _and began to attack people at random.

Riku was no where in sight, and Sora was in danger. No one else was around, so this, she thought, left her. Surrounded by a group of sword-carrying Nobodies, Kairi was not about to let them cut her to ribbons.

Looking frantically for _any _sort of weapon, she found what appeared to be a Tidus' stick-sword layinghalf-buried in the sand.

"It's better than nothing…" Disappointed, but ready to fight the lot of them Kairi grabbed the makeshift weapon and pulled, throwing stray sand into the way of the Nobodies that surrounded her. Unfortunately, this only seemed to anger them.

She exhaled and pulled the wooden sword back in a fighting stance similar to Sora's. "Here goes nothing. Come and get me!"

_Shink._

"Hm?" Kairi glanced at her weapon as a faint light surrounded it, her heart leapt seeing this. She knew what was coming.

The light faded. And before her eyes the wooden handle transformed into steel, surrounded by what looked to be red, metal wings that formed a hilt around her hands. The weapon became flat, sharp and red with a blade, also in the shape of a red wing, jutting sharply out the very top of the previously dull tip. This was no longer a feeble stick. It had become a keyblade.

Without wasting a moment's time, Kairi swung the blade as hard as she could, cutting deeply into the Nobodies that stood in front of her. They disappeared at once, allowing her passageway towards the man who was holding down Sora.

Gritting her teeth, Kairi ran faster than she ever ran before, apparently catching the man off-guard. His head turned at the sound of footsteps, mildly taken aback to see Kairi with a _keyblade _charging at him. With no time to block this attack, Kairi hit him full on in the face with the blade.

She twirled the blade, pleasantly surprised at her sudden spike in ability, characteristic of the small smile that spread across her face. This smile dropped into non-existence when the man dropped his hood, revealing the angry face of the attacker. A long cut, curtsey of Kairi, now ran along the length of this man's face.

And it wasn't just any man's face.

"Roxas…?"

Roxas said no words as he approached the shocked Kairi. There was only a slight moment of hesitation from him, after this he then promptly slammed his fist into her abdomen. She screamed and doubled over in pain. Her hand released her keyblade and it faded away at once. Satisfied, he then placed a gloved hand on her forehead and forced her into the ground, just feet away from Sora.

He snapped his fingers and the group of Nobodies he had summoned faded away instantly. Leaving him, Sora and Kairi alone. Once he was sure of this, Roxas opened his left palm, the Oblivion Keyblade appearing in his grasp. Upon seeing this blade he lost control and threw his head back to laugh, reveling in the moment.

Just then, something seemed to explode from the forest entrance. Roxas stopped laughing at once and lowered Oblivion into attack formation. It was Riku, leaping into join the party. His smile became a look of complete disgust…

* * *

"I'm here!" Riku called, jumping out from the entrance to the woods, The Way to Dawn in hand. Upon seeing the sight, he froze in place. 

Sora was sprawled on the ground, feet from him and barely conscious was Kairi. He then saw the flash of a robe that was strikingly familiar.

White robe with black thorns…

Riku's eyes darted upward, expecting to see Xemnas there, as improbable as it was. Instead, he was greeted with an even more improbable sight. Roxas.

"What?" He saw Roxas move into a fighting position, and he didn't know _how _or… why but he knew one thing:

That son of a bitch hurt Sora and Kairi.

"Bastard." Riku broke into a full on sprint, ready to rip Roxas to shreds.

Roxas himself seemed just as eager, he sprung over the fallen Sora and Kairi and ran towards Riku, Oblivion more than ready to attack.

They ran at each other, and the resulting collision seemed powerful enough to tear the world apart…

**D**eparture - ii

_Continued…_

* * *

**Author's Notes:** Didn't see that one coming, did you? Two and Three were originally going to be back-to-back, but I couldn't resist putting this one first. Have fun trying to figure out what's going on by the time it's answered in Three. 

Hope you enjoyed the reading, check back soon for Three and, as always, thanks to those that reviewed my earlier chapters and be sure to continue posting feedback of what you think and what I might improve!


	5. Three Part One

Echo in the Void

* * *

"_The voice calls me,_

_Yet I cannot hear it._

_The shadows reach out for me,_

_Yet I denounce them._

_I am between. Again."_

* * *

**T**hree

Part **One**

"I am here."

Roxas turned on his heel, squinting through the endless darkness just outside the soft glow of the pillar's image. Nothing.

"Where?" Roxas asked, feeling bemused.

He felt something tap his shoulder behind him. Roxas jumped and spun, immediately feeling chills run down his spine. Without taking his eyes off the being that _wasn't there before _Roxas took three quick steps backwards.

"You made it this far," The Being said, moving so gracefully towards Roxas it appeared to be gliding through the air. "can you handle the end?"

"The end," Roxas ran his fingers through his messy blond hair, barely registering the sweat that soaked his scalp. "you mean my freedom?"

Roxas could not help but remember this Being from somewhere before. At first, the sound of the man's voice seemed eerily familiar, as if it were his own father's booming voice (then again, he didn't even know if he _had_ a father, so it was more like wishful thinking,) but he had dismissed it as his own imagination. Now, seeing the voice materialize into a physical form, a fuzzy image appeared in the back of his mind. He could not see the face, but the robe he wore he know hesaw somewhere else…

"The black-thorned robe." Roxas' own voice was a surprise to him, _What the hell is a black-thorned robe?_

The robed man remained patient. His arms were unusually placed at his sides, as if simply dangling lifelessly. Once he was sure Roxas was done struggling with his memories (or lack thereof) he spoke. "One could say that, I suppose. Then again, the word _end_ has so many meanings, doesn't it?"

Roxas sighed inwardly, he was growing tired of the man's word games. "Look. Go ahead and say what you wanted to say. If not, I'll find my own way out. Memories or not."

If he could see the man's face, Roxas would guess he had cracked a large smile. "It seems our born-again Keyblade Master has learned how to be bold. Though perhaps he is underestimating just how _powerful _one's memories can be."

"Really? The only memories I have right now are how _annoying _you are. And, quite frankly, it isn't helping me at all."

"Fine, young Roxas, I will drop the theatrics." If he actually was smiling before, this would be the time where it completely faded from existence. "You are not the only one growing impatient."

_What could that mean? _Roxas thought idly, shifting his weight to his left foot and placing a hand on his hip. To be honest, he was plesantly surprised he wasn't ambushed by more heartless creatures and could only be thankful he found himself simply talking. After all, it was damn hot in the void.

The man continued, "As I have mentioned before… It is time you learned about yourself, Roxas. Come," He lifted his arm and a portal, similar to the one Axel summoned, appeared to the side of the man. When he did this, the sleeve slipped down his arm, allowing full view of:

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing. The man had no _hand._ In fact, he had no arm either.

The look on Roxas' face quickly shifted from curiosity to complete shock and confusion. _How? _

The man… or, well, whatever it was now, seemed to sense Roxas' shock. "Roxas," his voice sounded sympathetic. "you didn't know? Look."

The armless sleeves lifted and Roxas could only guess thatthey grabbed the being'shood. In one pull the hood fell, revealing the man's face.

He gasped, the image he was now witnessing was more shocking than the arms that weren't there.

He had _half_ a face. There was no gore, as one would expect. It simply seemed that pieces of his own head had been burned and frayed off at the edges. He had one yellow eye, half a mouth… an ear… some white hair and that was _it_.

"What _are _you?"

"Roxas my boy," He held out his armless sleeves, the violet vortex still spun to his right. "this is what we call a **Chaser, **for lack of a better term."

Roxas was not following. "What is a Chaser?"

The man's half mouth twisted into a crooked smile. Though it was a closed-mouth smile, half of his tongue and teeth were visible through the missing portion of his head. "Before we delve into the phenomenon of a Chaser, first we must discuss the two more well-known creatures that have been shunned by the world."

The man turned gracefully and drifted, like a ghost, in the direction of the portal. Before disappearing into the vortex, however, he stopped momentarily and Roxas saw the sleeves raise up. As a result the hood was then lifted and used to drape the Chaser's head (_Thank God, _Roxas thought.)

He turned to face Roxas now, " Let us depart."

---

_That memory was easy to recreate, _He thought idly, letting his elbows press on the marble arm rests as his fingers intertwined in front of him, _Too easy…_

Axel allowed a sigh to escape his lips, in spite of himself, and peered with troubled eyes around the Organization's white throne room. Or, rather, the _memory_ of what it once was.

Instead of sitting in his usual seat, the red head took it in his own liberty to sit on the throne that once belonged to his superior, Xemnas. Whether as an act of straight defiance to the way things used to be, or for his own personal satisfaction, he could not quite tell. Regardless, he found himself sitting there now, glancing through his intertwined fingers to where the 'memory' versions ofRoxas and himselfhad sat once before.

Despite his fiery nature, Axel always remained cool, calm and collected in even the most dire of situations. (Then again, as a Nobody, shouldn't he always be this way?)

Still, even after losing his own being (the direct result of putting your entire soul into one major outpouring of power) Axel still managed retained his sense of humor and remained calm. Even though he was dying, he still remembered who he was. Even though he wanted so much to just _sleep _and never wake up, a single spark within Axel, a single ember of undying flame, forced him to remain awake, **made **him remember. This is the reason, he believed, he was still alive.

"Well," Axel stood, talking to himself. "if you can call this alive."

During his time in the void he found that hetalked to himself a lot. Ironically, this kept him sane in the endless darkness of the void. When there was no one else to talk to, you find a way to have a rousing conversation with yourself.

"Whatever it takes to not fade away, right?" He idly pulled off one of his black gloves and ran his fingers through his hair.

He had been stuck in this Godforsaken hell-hole for at least a year now and only recently found someone else who had managed to retain his sense of being after dying, (albeit hardly.) Though he could never see this person he knew he existed. _Because the bastard would never leave me alone._

The voice called he and Axel Chasers, what ever the _hell_ that was. Apparently, it was a cute name for someone who 'chased' after that what they lacked… Axel didn't really know the specifics because never listened to the voice. Partly because he thought it was downright crazy, but mostly because he knew, right from the beginning, who the voice belonged to.

"Xehanort." The name reverberated off the white walls like an echo of the past that was trying to remain silent.

_Or Xemnas, or Ansem or whatever the _hell _he was calling himself this week._

Sometimes, however, it was impossible to ignore Xehanort as he spoke to him. Sometimes he would taunt Axel with the idea that, if he were to help him, he would make it possible for Axel to return to the world of the living.

And sometimes, it was damn near impossible to say no.

But he remained vigilant. He had done away with following orders and being an underling a while ago. He would not leave if it was with Xehanort's help. Besides, in reality the only 'helping' that Xehanort was capable of was for himself. In the end, Axel knew he was going to get screwed one way or another. After all, if Xehanort had the power to leave the void he would have done so already. It was apparent he needed Axel's help to get out…

However, there was another reason Axel stayed. A more important one.

"Roxas…" Axel snapped his fingers, opening the violet gateway before him.

For a better part of the last year, Axel had been searching for a way out. But when he came into contact with Xehanort (or what was left of him), Axel realized something that put a great halt on his search for an exit.

_If this void is where Nobodies are born and return for a final resting place, then there was a slim possibility that Roxas would be within the void as well. _Just as he and Xehanort were.

Though he knew that Roxas was a part of Sora now, Xehanort suggested that a Nobody only existed when it remembered what it was like to be alive. This meant a Nobody did not need to be killed to be here, it only needed to forget it was alive.

_And what better way to forget when you find yourself in the depths of someone else's heart?_

So, acting on a simple hunch, Axel spent the last six months searching for Roxas. Today he had found him. With his body becoming part of the void, Axel had found Roxas with most of his body transparent. A sign that he would soon be no more.

In desperation, he tried calling out to Roxas with his voice, and tried awakening him by touch. But in the end it would not be him who awakened Roxas.

_Roxas…_

Axel shook his head, peering through the gateway, which was acting less like a portal and more like a window that only he could see into. On the other side of it he could see Roxas, already being deceived by Xehanort.

When he had found Roxas' body floating through the void's darkness, he realized that Xehanort had been following him. This had been a great mistake on Axel's part, because unwittingly he had lead him straight to someone he had more of a chance of manipulating. He realized that Xehanort had told him those things on purpose. Xehanort knew, somehow, that Roxas was in the void, and knew that Axel's ties to him would make the search that much easier.

_And like a foolish mouse, I walked right into the cat's paws._ Axel could feel a bad taste filling his mouth.

Axel knew that if he had stayed when Roxas awoke Xehanort would accuse him of being the enemy.

"Because _everybody _listens to the booming disembodied voice…" Axel rolled his eyes.

Realizing he had lost for the moment, Axel left and stuck to watching Roxas from the shadows. Of course, this did not stop the bastard from suggesting Axel's fake villainy in the kindest of matters.

"By constructing a massive image depicting us as enemies _right under_ Roxas' feet."

As a way of fighting back, Axel formed this throne room from one of his own memories. A memory he knew he and Roxas shared. A throne room void of any other members of the Organization. If Xehanort did not share in the memory then there was no way he could see it.

Using his own slight control of the void, Axel picked the most opportune moment (the fading staircase) as a way to bring Roxas right to him. It worked, and soon Roxas was witnessing this hand-picked memory Axel had recreated. By seeing this memory Roxas was reminded of two things: his friendship with Axel, and his unique power over Xehanort and the rest of the organization. This way, when the time came, Roxas would be able to fight against Xehanort's manipulation. It also provided a secret meeting place for the two.

_Thing is, I don't think he knows that's Xehanort._

Axel had thought briefly about telling him, but decided against it. When the time was right he would remind him. Until then he would sit back and watch. Unfortunately, allowing Roxas to be manipulated was the only way it would open a gateway to the world of the living. But once it was revealed Axel would immediately show up and together they would escape the void. It was a damn near perfect plan. In theory, at least.

Axel looked on as Xehanort's physical form led Roxas into what could only be a memory that the two shared, barring Axel from watching them.

He waved his gloveless hand and the window dissipated. Making a slow stridefor Xemnas' throne Axel reached into his robes and produced the glove which he slipped back on. He then sat down.

"For now," Axel pressed his elbows against the arms of the throne and intertwined his fingers once more. "I guess it's just a party of one."

He just wondered how long it would last.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**Author's Notes**: It's been a LONG time and I really apologize for it. Sometimes life just happens to get in the way. But now I'm definitely back and working hard at picking up where I left off in _Echo._

If you didn't already know (I mentioned it on my bio page) Three is insanely long and, being stubborn as I am, decided not to rename the other parts of it after I split them up. Instead of seeing Three, Four and Five you're going to be seeing Three Part One, Part Two and Part Three (and maybe even Part Four!) Sorry if that confuses anyone.

The reason why Three is so long is because this is the last chapter of the Introduction, after Three the story opens up and expands. I want to keep it only three chapters and two departures, but I can't very well present to you guys a 20 page Chapter Three, you know?

Anyway, tell me what you think of the first part of Three (good or bad, all criticisms and encouraging words welcome.) Also, if you have ANY questions feel free to ask them in your feedback. As long as it doesn't reveal any important information about the story later on I'll see what I can do to answer them. Hope you guys liked it. Sorry again for the obscene wait I put you all through.

One final note, as SOON as this part is up on the site I will go right back to writing the second part. I want to finish the Introduction before Tuesday, so check back!


	6. Three Part Two

Echo in the Void

* * *

"_The voice calls me,_

_Yet I cannot hear it._

_The shadows reach out for me,_

_Yet I denounce them._

_I am between. Again."_

* * *

**T**hree

Part **Two**

The swirl of the vortex was cool against his skin, a welcome contrast to the near illogical heat of the void. Soon, Roxas found himself standing on solid ground again. Once he was sure it was safe to open his eyes, he did so.

Oddly enough, he was in a town of some sort. It was night and the houses made of brick and wood were illuminated by the soft glow of the yellow lights that were strewn about the area. He took notice of a white bell tower straight across from where he was standing and took a step towards it, only to abruptly stop a moment later when something odd caught his eye.

"Huh?"

Directly to his right was a bench that was set up against a fancy brick wall. Laying in a fetal position on that bench, covered by a tattered black blanket, was himself.

"Do you remember this place, Roxas?" The Chaser drifted to his side, Roxas barely registering his presence.

"Not at all." He answered, turning to face what could only be his memory huddled on that bench. The image was unsettling.

"This is where I first found you," The Chaser followed Roxas' motions as he, too, turned to face the memory of Roxas. "after you were born, this is where you ended up. Traverse Town. It was not easy, but in the end I did find you."

"Why?" Roxas asked, surprised he had met this being from the void somewhere else, in the world of the living, no less. "We knew each other before the void?"

The Chaser nodded his head. "Quite well. You could say I was your mentor, and friend."

_Mentor and friend… _Roxas took in the words, but they sounded false. He kept his mouth shut, but could not help but feel at least a little suspicious…

"As for _why_ I went looking for you… Well, it was to protect you."

"To protect me?" But the question was dismissed when the Chaser lifted a finger to his face as a silencing gesture.

"Just watch." He said, directing Roxas' attention to his memory.

Memory Roxas appeared cold, fragile and weak. He shook quietly on the bench and looked like a ghost. Roxas felt sorry for his former self, wanting desperately to find himself another blanket…

Of course, this feeling was quelled when another person came into the picture. It was a man that walked as if he were on a cloud, just like the Chaser. He could only guess that it was, indeed, his own memory. However, this one did not wear a white coat with black thorns. This one's attire looked exactly like the one Axel had worn when Roxas had met him in the white room.

"Axel…" Roxas said under his breath, low enough so that only he could hear. He slipped a hand into the front pocket of his pants, his hand grazing the paper Axel had given him.

"_The man you want to look for is named Cornelius." Axel brought a finger up to his temple and tapped it once. "Got it memorized?"_

Who exactly was this Cornelius, and why was he supposed to find him? Moreover, _where _was this Cornelius? He had not yet gotten the chance to read the paper, but perhaps it entailed what he needed to do to find this enigmatic man…

"_Here," _The voice of Chaser's memory snapped Roxas back into the present. He took his hand out of his pocket, looking up to see the memory handing the other Roxas a small blue bottle. "_drink this."_

The other Roxas looked up weakly and, like some sort of timid animal, inspected the bottle the Chaser memory had offered him. Finally, he took the bottle and sat up, unscrewing the top and drinking the contents of it.

"_There," _Chaser placed a kind hand on the other Roxas. "_it will help bring back your strength."_

_"Who… are you?" _The other Roxas lowered the bottle and glanced at the Chaser's hand. He was already appearing visibly stronger than before.

"_Do you have a name, young one?" _Chaser asked him curiously, perhaps genuinely not knowing the answer. The other Roxas shook his head.

"_In that case, I will call you Roxas. It is a name I pondered while trying to locate you. It is fitting for one such as yourself."_

_"Roxas… my name." _The other Roxas placed the bottle on the ground and looked at one of his hands, he then turned back towards the Chaser.

"_What do you want with me? Why did you try and find me?" _Both Roxas' were thinking the same thing, it seemed.

"_My boy. I have traveled far in search of you. I am here to protect you, and offer you the answers to the questions you seek."_

_"What protection? What questions are you speaking of?"_

_"Don't play the fool." _Chaser pointed a finger at the other Roxas. "_You have no idea why those odd weapons come to your aid when you need it. It frightens you for you know it is of significance, yet you cannot remember why or how. You also do not remember anything of your own past. Is that right?"_

_"Yes…" _The other Roxas' eyes lightened with hope as he looked at the Chaser quizzically. "_Do you know about my past?"_

The memory of Chaser nodded his head. "_I know a great many things about you and those blades you carry. Come," _He held out a hand that Roxas accepted and used to pull himself up to a standing position. "_I shall tell you all you need to know. But don't be shocked at the answer that you receive."_

The other Roxas shook his head. "_I wont. But… what is your name?"_

Memory Chaser paused, and then answered slowly, almost carefully. "_I was once known as… Xehanort."_

And with that, the two memories faded away, leaving Chaser… or _Xehanort_, rather, and Roxas alone in the memory of Traverse Town.

Roxas remained silent for a long moment, allowing himself to fully absorb what he had just seen. Instead of answering any questions, it only brought up more.

"What were you trying to protect me from, Xehanort?" Roxas said quietly now, feeling rather bemused. He did not feel as though Xehanort was his friend, but from what he saw… what his own _memory _showed him, he could not readily deny it…

"I was trying to protect you from your other, Roxas." The answer came simply, but Roxas did not understand it.

"My other." He repeated in small hopes that it would unlock something deep inside of him, but to no avail.

"Roxas, I have explained this to you once before but I will do so again. Do you know what happens when a heart is consumed in darkness?"

Though he did not remember it being explained to him, he knew the answer just from simple deduction. "A heartless is born?"

Xehanort nodded, "A being is made up of three parts. The body, the heart and the soul. Roxas, can you tell me what happens when the soul is taken away?"

The answer was obvious. "You die."

Another nod. "But what happens when the heart is gone, but the body and soul remain?"

"A … heartless is born?"

A laugh escaped Xehanort's lips. "A good guess. A new being is created from the remains. This being, unlike someone who is whole, does not truly exist because, theoretically, they should not. Do you know what this being is called?"

The answer, like one of Traverse Town's many lights, shone over him. Suddenly things were beginning to make sense. "A Nobody."

"Roxas, try to feel your own heart. Can you?"

Roxas closed his eyes and drew in a deep intake of air. Only a moment passed before his eyes shot open in horror.

"Where is your heart, Roxas?"

Roxas could feel his eyes begin to well up, tears threatening to spill down onto his cheeks. "I… I don't.. I don't have one…"

All at once, the pieces fell into place and made a sad sort of sense. He now understood what Axel's memory had said about 'becoming true people' and the importance of Kingdom Hearts and why he was able to control those Nobodies…

_Axel and I are Nobodies. The whole "Organization XIII" or whatever it was, their sole intent was to destroy the Heartless and bring forth Kingdom Hearts. They needed the keyblade to do so and that is where I came in. Xemnas needed me so we could all become whole again, like we once were…_

The revelation had hit him like a ton of bricks, and he felt himself sway somewhat as his head began to swim with these thoughts. Roxas turned and stumbled backwards, landing in a sitting position on the bench where his memory had sat moments before. He wiped the sweat from his face and suddenly began to feel dizzy.

"The void is where a Nobody is born," Xehanort approached Roxas, understanding that he had realized the truth on his own. "and the void is where a Nobody returns when he ceases to be."

"So, I'm dead? I don't exist, don't have a heart and now I'm _dead_? What else do you want to add? That I'm not even a real boy? Am I puppet now, too, Xehanort?"

There was a short silence from Xehanort before he spoke again. "A Nobody does not exist. They are neither truly alive, nor dead to begin with. In a way, a Nobody cannot be killed, nor fully destroyed. They can only forget."

"Forget…" Roxas said simply, his mood not improving in the slightest.

"If a Nobody has incurred enough damage to their body or soul, enough to the point of where a normal being would have died, that Nobody's mind forgets in order to cease the pain. When they forget they no longer _are_ and return to where they were born from, the void."

"However," Xehanort continued. "it is when a Nobody _remembers_ after he has ceased that a new, third being is created. Formed of what body and soul is left after they cease and held together by memories alone, these creatures are less than even Nobodies and are named for what they are good at… Chasing. Chasing for a whole body, soul and a heart, the Chasers are the farthest thing from living and the closest thing to a ghost as you can get. They are like living pieces of the void they were reborn in, vacuums in every sense of the word, consuming the body, heart and soul of all those they touch and possess. They drift from world to world, doing this until they become whole once more."

Roxas looked troubled, rising quietly from his seat. So Xehanort used to be a Nobody, then… "Does that make me a Chaser?"

"You are a special case, Roxas." Xehanort turned away from him as he peered down towards the bell tower. "You were never destroyed in the first place. You only forgot who you were due to a lack of thought. You returned to the void, as all Nobodies do, yet retained your full body and soul when you remembered who you were. I'm not sure what you are, Roxas… I believe you are neither a Nobody _or_ a Chaser. You are an anomaly, the unknown Fourth. For this, the only thing I can classify you as is… the Lost One."

Roxas did not know what to make of the information he was receiving, but decided to cut to the chase anyway and ask what had been bugging him all along. "Why are you helping me?"

A second passed as Xehanort stopped talking, his coat then moved as he turned to face him. "You are the only one who can escape the void, Roxas. You are closer to complete than any Chaser, and yet your return to the void has made you a part of it. That is why you can escape. Without help, however, you will be trapped here like the rest of us."

"What is it you want in return?" Roxas was no fool, Xehanort smiled.

"I can control the void better than any other. You are the only one who can leave this place. If we work together, we can both return to the world of the living."

A wave of uncertainty crashed against Roxas' thoughts at that moment. He wanted desperately to leave this void, but even though Xehanort was acting the part of friend and _did _seem to be helping Roxas he still could not accept him as such as he had been suggesting. After all, what good is a Chaser in the world of the living besides being a reaper? Xehanort seemed to notice what Roxas was thinking and let out a good-natured (albeit _eerie_) laugh.

"Roxas my boy, don't make a decision until you know the full story." His left sleeve lifted and yet another vortex became visible, beckoning entry. "There is still much to discuss, this way. I think you'll find this next memory a little more… _recent_."

And like a guest that overstayed his welcome, Xehanort had moved towards the vortex, disappearing right into it. Roxas sighed, shaking his head slowly. This was all too much, too soon. Axel seemed to be telling him one thing, and Xehanort another. He had an overwhelming feeling that, before he could leave, he'd have to make a choice between the two. That, and he had _just_ remembered his own existence earlier in the day.

Unfortunately, he could feel a foreboding sense that the time to decide drawing far too near for his own comfort. Still, looking back one final time on his memory of Traverse Town, Roxas moved forward, following closely behind Xehanort. Soon he, too, disappeared into the gateway…

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**Author's Notes: **The plot thickens. According to Axel, Roxas is being slowly corrupted and manipulated by Xehanort. According to Xehanort, he is Roxas' friend and is the only way he can leave the void. Who will he end up choosing? And what happened to Roxas to turn him into that fellow on Destiny Islands? Roxas' story crashes headlong into Sora and co.'s in the next part of Chapter Three. The answers will come, and the final result of Riku and Roxas' clash will be apparent as we end the Introduction and the final, darkest chapter in Kingdom Hearts can begin… 

Check back!

(And please, tell me what you think. Feedback is great!)


	7. Three Part Three

Echo in the Void

* * *

"_The voice calls me,_

_Yet I cannot hear it._

_The shadows reach out for me,_

_Yet I denounce them._

_I am between. Again."_

* * *

**T**hree

Part **Three**

The roar of Prototype A1-90's engines were deafening, so it was a welcome contrast to hear the roar cut to the dull hum of auto-pilot. Of course, this came at a cost as auto-pilot was _much _slower than manual flight.

_I need a break, anyway_. Thought Aurora, justifying her actions as her glance moved through the windshield and rested on the black hull of the ship that was currently busy reflecting the distant stars in the sky. She then, however, caught the image of her own reflection in the windshield and absently began to concentrate on that.

She was still a young woman, her age only just reaching her mid-twenties. But still, Aurora sometimes felt as though she was well into her thirties. With her own family long gone and her adoptive father an old, retired doctor she had no other choice but to help out the last remaining family she had in any way. Her natural skills as a pilot and as a fighter made it easy for her to collect munny as a bounty hunter of sorts which helped pay for her step-father's home on Radiant Garden along with this new ship which she dubbed _Talon_, a new type of ship class made from steel that was decidedly stronger than that of a standard gummi ship.

Sighing, Aurora took off her helmet and fixed her short brown hair, wondering just what kind of 'rescue mission' her adoptive father had her doing now. Something about a bunch of kids on an Island somewhere. She had refused at first, unable to see the importance of a bunch of _kids _but this had been a favor of her step-father so she couldn't say no.

She adjusted her flak jacket and noticed on her left was the massive-glowing body of the sun that made it _just _annoying enough that she needed to turn her head in the other direction.

"I'd much rather be home," She grumbled, now eyeing the flashing red light on her dashboard that told her someone was trying to establish a connection. Reluctantly she flipped a switch near the light that opened up the comm. link.

The windshield flashed a blue color once this was done. The resulting image that played across the screen was that of a man who appeared to be in his late sixties. She recognized it immediately as Dr. Cornelius… her step-father.

"Aurora," The speakers buzzed with the sound of his gruff voice, his usually kind eyes taking the form of exasperation. "you do realize that abruptly switching to auto-pilot in mid flight is not only dangerous, but will hamper your speed reaching your destination?"

_And unfortunately, it also allows you to communicate with me. _She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Aurora, please." It seemed he may of realized his folly of constantly nagging her and changed his tone drastically. "They'll need you."

"All right," She gave up. "all right. I'll switch back to manual. But I'm new at these rescue missions…"

Cornelius smiled. "I know you'll do fine."

She shrugged and flipped the comm. link off. The image on the screen flickered and faded away, revealing the endless stretch of space and stars before her. Once that was done her gloved hands moved to another switch further up on the dashboard that would take the ship out of auto-pilot and return it to manual flight.

"I'd better get something out of this," Aurora grumbled, grabbing the controls of the ship as it lurched forward towards it's destination. "I'm not one for charity work."

---

If the memory of Traverse Town had been slightly cooler than the void, then this beach in comparison was downright _frigid_.

After stepping out from the gateway the first thing that greeted Roxas was a breeze that had been colder than anything he could remember. Grasping at his bare arms, Roxas stepped further down the beach where he was greeted with an odd sight.

It was clearly nightfall, the sky was dark and the sand shone gray in the soft light of the moon on the far horizon. Odd, jagged, stone-like structures jutted out of the water feet from the shore and curved at strange angles until returning to the ocean on the other side. They resembled demonic stone archways or the elongated tail of some sea creature that had dove out and then back into the water when it saw Roxas coming.

Despite there being wind, the water did not move. The resulting thought that ran through Roxas' mind had been that he had taken a portal straight into a photograph.

"Do you remember this place?" Xehanort asked in a hushed tone, gliding to his side as they moved down towards the shore.

Roxas only shook his head. "I'm sure if I did I would have recognized it right away, this place is too odd to forget."

"Ah," Xehanort crossed his non-existent arms. "but it is clear that you do, otherwise you would not be seeing this image before you."

"Apparently."

Xehanort smiled. "I must confess, Roxas. This is not only a memory, but a large, elaborate gateway."

Roxas suddenly felt himself lost once more. "I don't follow."

"This is the beauty of the void. A poetic irony. All things, like Chasers, are bound by memories. Therefore, what better way to make the exit, this 'Corridor of Darkness', a memory?"

"This is the exit out of the void?"

Xehanort did not answer, but continued with his explanation. "Since it is a memory, only those who remember it can see it. And therefore, the only ones with a chance of escaping from here are those who can recall the memory of this place."

"So… if you've never seen this beach before then you have no chance of leaving the void."

He nodded. "You are close. This is not the only exit to the void. There _are _others, I surmise. However, since my rebirth this is the only one I can recall."

A thought came to Roxas' mind. "Is this a real location?"

"Perhaps," Xehanort took it upon himself to sit at a large black rock at the base of the shore. "you see, the void is connected to all worlds. Every world has an entry point in the void. That entry point is known as a Corridor of Darkness. Each Corridor is based on the memory of a real location from that world. Though, doubtless I have seen the real location."

"So how do you and I remember it?"

"I do not know." Roxas could tell Xehanort was telling the truth this time. "I can only remember the memory. Not the real place. You can see it now because I invited you here a long time ago. And that is the only way one without the memory can see it."

"By invitation?"

Xehanort nodded.

"Do you know _anything_ about the real place?" He approached Xehanort, who was busy looking towards the moon in the far distance.

Xehanort looked on quietly before speaking. "Roxas, you are not the only one who's memories are a mystery. There are things not even I can remember about my past. This place is one of them…"

"Was I born in Traverse Town?" The question was completely unrelated, he knew, but was curious to know the answer. "I know I came from the void, but did I end up in Traverse Town?"

Xehanort laughed slightly at the random question. "No. You found your way to Traverse Town through a Corridor like this, but you were born somewhere else."

"And where was that?"

"Twilight Town."

The words reverberated through his bones like a deep echo of the past. Immediately he knew the importance of this Twilight Town, his birthplace. His home.

"But according to you, you found me in Traverse Town. So how did I have a memory of Traverse Town if I've never been there?"

"Traverse Town was an odd little world. A world gathered from the fragments of worlds lost to the darkness. Most people who had lost their worlds ended up there. You yourself had no recollection of the town. But because of your _other's_ memories you had little trouble finding your way."

"My other…" He had heard about this 'other' entirely too much. Who was it?

"Ah, Roxas… I am sorry." Xehanort pushed off of the rock he had been leaning against. "I forgot all about explaining your other to you."

He turned to face Xehanort now, glad that he was _finally _about to hear about the one who had been occupying his thoughts since he first heard about him.

"Your other is your greatest enemy."

Roxas blinked. _That _was certainly what he wasn't expect himself to hear.

"You were born from another, whole being. Your own name is based on his. If you take the 'x' out of Roxas and rearrange the remaining letters you get the name of your other: Sora."

Astonished, he did this in his head and it was true. But why was he his enemy?

"When you were born you became half of Sora. Meaning Sora grew weaker as a result. Sora is the current Keyblade Master, explaining your ability to use the keyblades as well. After your existence was known by certain _others _they devised a plot to kidnap you and use you to complete Sora once more."

_Kidnap! _These people and Sora were definitely not sounding too good right now…

"I knew this would happen from the start. I located you in Traverse Town and told you to return to Twilight Town. There you met the Organization, whom I knew would be there waiting for you. You joined their ranks and were safe from those who wished to kidnap you. However, I had underestimated them and called you back to warn you."

"Where did we meet again?"

Xehanort turned to Roxas. "Here, of course."

It was beginning to make sense now. But he still did not understand everything. "But why would anyone do that? Why would they kidnap me and use me to restore Sora?"

Xehanort turned back to the moon and sighed. "I don't know. I guess because you lacked a heart they considered you a tool, nothing more."

Roxas could feel anger flare within him, but kept it at bay. "Then what happened?"

"I told you about your other and the dangers presented to you. Unfortunately you were too curious about your other and went against my wishes and the wishes of the Organization. You sought out Sora and as a result his best friend, Riku, eventually defeated you and kidnapped you."

"What did they do to me?" Roxas started to feel sick, he wasn't some tool to be used and kidnapped like that. He may have lacked a heart but he still had a _soul _for God sakes!

"Forced Assimilation and Selective Amnesia."

"…_through certain circumstances you lost touch with the abilities you were able to freely use in the past. Through selective amnesia and … well, forced assimilation, you grew weak and feeble. Undeserving of the existence you sought."_

Roxas bit his lip as things slowly began to make sense once more. He was finally getting the full story, he could feel it. _This _was the truth.

Xehanort smiled in spite of himself. "Once you were kidnapped my own enemy, Ansem the Wise, transferred you into data and placed you into a fake Twilight Town inside Sora's memories. There he picked apart what you knew and made you forget all you had learned since meeting me in Traverse Town. He fitted you with an artificial personality and memories until you slowly became one with Sora again. Sora became whole again, however, at a blatant disregard for your own well being. Eventually you forgot who you were and returned here, where I met you. Throughout Sora's journey the Organization and I tried to release you from Sora, but he fought and defeated us all. I was the last. I lead Sora and Riku back to the void but even I was no match for them."

Xehanort lifted his sleeves and dropped the hood, revealing the portion of his face that was still visible. "They did this to me. And that is why I need your help, Roxas. I cannot leave in this current state, but you can. Together we can leave and together we can rebuild the Organization! Together, you and I will have our revenge!"

Roxas exhaled, absorbing all that was said like a sponge, growing angry at the truth that he learned. It was their fault he was here. He did not ask for any of this. He did not _deserve _any of this. Sure, maybe his birth was unnatural but that did not give anyone the right to consider him less! Suddenly, his decision was made.

"I want out. _Now._"

A wide smile then spread across Xehanort's angular features. He held out his non-existing hand. "Take my hand, Roxas."

At first Roxas thought it a bit weird to be grabbing a hand that was not there. But he obliged. He reached out as Xehanort leaned forward. Their hands were an inch away.

"Roxas, wait!"

Roxas froze and spun, dropping his hand at once. A gateway opened up and out came none other than Axel. He had a look of fierce determination in his eyes as he ran up to the two, brandishing two red and black spiked chakrams.

"You!" A look of anger and disgust came upon Xehanort, causing Axel to smirk in response.

"In the flesh, baby." He quickly turned to Roxas. "Roxas, don't listen to him! He's trying to trick you!"

"Trick you?" Xehanort said to Roxas, "Through what, the truth? How did you get here anyway?"

"I was invited."

Roxas stepped away from Xehanort and Axel, grimacing. He knew he had to choose one of them, but he did not know anymore. At first he was determined to pick Axel. But now… After what he had heard…

"Roxas, listen to me. Xehanort is _not _the type of person too--"

Xehanort moved with grace to block Axel. "Roxas do not listen to this traitor! He sold you out to Sora and the others! He even went so far as to _help_ Sora!"

"Lies!" Axel growled, swinging a chakram at Xehanort's back.

There was a loud tearing noise as the weapon cut into Xehanort. He grunted, falling forward. Xehanort desperately tried to stand but was pressed back into the sand with Axel's foot. He lifted the chakram, readying a death-blow.

"No!" Roxas withdrew the Oblivion keyblade and leapt at Axel, the chakram rammed into the keyblade instead of Xehanort and with all of his might Roxas knocked Axel off of Xehanort and as far back as possible.

---

"Oof!" Axel hit a mound of sand with a resounding thud, seeing stars as the wind was forced from his lungs.

Recollecting his thoughts, Axel pressed off of the sand and saw, to his horror, Roxas reaching for Xehanort's hand on the ground.

_"Chasers are like living pieces of the void they were reborn in, vacuums in every sense of the word, **consuming the body, heart and soul of all those they touch and possess."**_

Axel shouted, leaping at once to his feet and sprinting towards them. He reached out desperately for Roxas. "ROXAS, NO!"

But it was too late. Just as he had come close he had been forced to stop by an immense white light that seemed to consume all that was around him. He covered his eyes, turning away from the bright light. And then there was nothing.

Things grew dark once more and everything was surprisingly quiet.

Axel opened his eyes and peered in the direction where the two had been. Now, there stood only one.

"I'd like to thank you Axel." The face was Roxas. The hair was Roxas. The voice was Roxas. But this was _not_ Roxas. Behind Roxas' face Xehanort smiled. "If it had not been for you I would have never found Roxas in the first place. Now, if you'll excuse me…"

The man who was not Roxas turned away from Axel, his black thorned coat billowing in the cool wind. He lifted his arms and before them, just above the water, appeared a bright light that opened up the sky and literally lit the beach up

_The door out._

"Damn you!" Axel swung the chakram again but was surprised to see Xehanort turn and hold out a hand.

The chakram missed Xehanort by an inch or so and as his hand came down, Xehanort's came up. The hand clasped around Axel's wrist and with a defying sneer on the face that Xehanort stole, brought Axel closer to him. "Have fun here."

And with strength that surprised Axel, Xehanort used Roxas' muscles to push him back down into the sand. He laid there dazed as 'Roxanort' turned back to the door, walking towards it. Watching this through a fog in his mind Axel weakly reached out after him just as he had approached the door.

"Help Roxas." He whispered, as if speaking to someone invisible.

The door's light faded as Roxanort stepped through it and then disappeared entirely, leaving Axel alone in the dark and sprawled out in the sand. His head dropped down against the ground as unconsciousness welcomed him.

---

She was tired from the dancing and was glad when Sora had opted for a break.

"I'm going to get something to drink," He said with a smile, watching as Kairi sat on the sand in front of the bonfire. "do you want anything?"

She returned the smile and shook her head. "No thanks."

Sora nodded and turned away, walking towards the drink hut. With a small sigh she turned her eyes towards the ocean. A moment later she furrowed her eyebrows when an odd sight caught her vision. It looked as though a star had been falling towards the ocean. A chill ran down her spine as she recalled this sight before…

---

The winds of existence roared passed his ears as he found himself free falling through the sky. He could not open his eyes or breathe yet he did not panic. Soon he was greeted with the wetness of the ocean as he plunged beneath the surface. Holding his breath, Xehanort swam for the surface.

His head burst out of the ocean as he gasped for air, wiping the water out of his eyes. When his eyes opened he was greeted with the sight of an Island he had recognized before and a bonfire that lit the beach with a warm orange glow.

"Sora is here." He said, somehow _knowing_.

With a smile, he swam for shore…

_Introduction:_

_To Be Concluded._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Notes:** Dun dun dun! Sorry guys, but I guess there is going to be four parts after all. I'll start writing that part as soon as possible and have it up by Tuesday night (I hope.)

Anyway, as you can tell, Axel told Roxas to find Cornelius. Cornelius sent his adoptive daughter, Aurora, to rescue Sora, Riku and Kairi. Xehanort has possessed Roxas and has arrived at Destiny Islands. Axel is trapped in the void.

Now, here's some things you should consider: Who exactly _is _Cornelius, and what relation does he have with Axel? And is Aurora the 'assistance' King Mickey was talking about, or is another party ready to arrive on the Islands around the same time as Aurora?

K.M.M. said three days after Laire. But it hasn't even been that long (it hasn't even been the next day yet) so what happened? Has assistance arrived early or has the King's message been tampered with?

What happened to Roxas? And is Sora weaker now that they are two separate beings again?

Whatever the case, I intend to try and answer these questions before the end of the introduction in the next part. Be sure to keep watch Tuesday night (and, if not Tuesday, then Wednesday) to watch as everything comes together. The only question is, can Destiny Islands survive it?


End file.
